Thistle-eradicator



L. MAYER.

THISTLE ERADICATOR. APPLlCATlON FILED JAN. 23, 1920.

Patent/ed Nov. 9, 1920.

UNITED? STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS MAYER, OF KAUKAUNA, WISCONSI N, ASSIGNOR'TO KAUKA UNA MACHINE WORKS, 013 KAUKAUNA, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSILL THISTLE-ERADICATOR.

Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

Application filed January 23,1920. Serial No. 353,562.

of the United States, and resident of Kaukauna, in the county of Outagamie and State of W1scons1n, have invented new and useful Improvements 1n Thistle-Eradicators, of

which the following is a description, refer-' ence being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in thistle eradicators and has for one of its objects to provide positive means carried by each comb member of the eradicator for cleaning the same after each complete revolution.

Another object of the present invention is to provide comparatively simple but efficient means for adjusting the comb members of the eradicator with respect to the surface of the ground over which my device is operated.

A further object of the present invention is to provide improved means for operatively connecting and disconnecting the comb carrying gear and the main drive gear of the eradicator.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a thistle eradicator of simple construction and light weight, and at the same time efficient in operation.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention constructed according to the best mode I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine, the wheel next the observer being removed, and parts broken away tomore clearly illustrate details of construction.

Fig. 2 is asectional view taken through the coiIibinembers illustrating my improved mannerof operating the comb cleaning bars.

Fig; 3jis a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the means I employ for adjust ing the elevation of the comb members and for moving the comb carrying side arms horizontally to engage and disengage the comb driving gear from the main gear, said viewhaving parts broken away and in section.

Fig. a is a fragmentary perspective view of the means I' employ for maintaining the comb gear and the drive gear in either operative or inoperative engagement, and

Fig. 5 isa fragmentary perspective view of one of the comb members and the cleaner bar arranged there adjacent to clean the teeth thereof. a

My invention may be said to consist broadly of wheel means having a comb carrying frame mounted thereon, gear means for drivingly connecting the comb carried by said frame with a driven axle, means for moving the side members forming said frame horizontally to connect and disconnect said gears, comb cleaning members having means for positively moving the same along the comb surface once every revolution to clean foreign matter therefrom, andmeans for adjusting the outer end of said frame to position the comb members with respect to the ground.

My device is supported by means of two complementary wheels 10 revolubly jour-- naled on shaft spindles 11 carried by a main axle member 12, the axle 12 having thills 13 secured thereto in any desired manner. The thills 13 are connected by means of a transverse member 14 forming a frame with the axle. 12 on which is supported a drivers seat 15. Journaled on thepspindles 11 inward of each wheel 10 is a'bearing block 16 having its elongatedend adjustably secured to a side arm 17 forming a part of a comb carrying frame by means of a bolt 18;

Theside arms 17 are each provided with two horizontal alined elongated apertures 19 and 20 through which pass the axle spindle-11 and bolt 18 respectively. This structure permits the outer free end 21of eachside arm 17 to be moved toward or away from the axle spindle 11, and this horizontal movement of the side arms 17 is 'controlled by means of a rod or shaft 22 ournaled in bearing brackets 23' carriedby' the axlelQa'nd havlngits ends-cranked as at 24 and engaging in curved recesses 25 111 the side arms. The shaft 22 is rotated means 7 of a hand lever 26 and is adapted to be held in either one of two adjustments, one vith the end 21 of the side arm 17 spaced fromthe vaxle and vice versa, by means of a bracket member 27 having notches 28 there in in which thelever 26 is selectively engaged. '17: his movement of the sidearms 17 is edectivc to engage and disengage the driving gearsto be later described. j V

'Securedto' each side arm 17 near" its outer free e1id'21 is a'bearing member in which the ends ofa shaft 30are revolubly mounted Splined on theshaft 8,0 in spaced relation are reel heads 31 each consisting, in the pres-' ent instance, of three arms and the adacent arms of each reel head are connected b means of transversel extendm brace bars or angle irons 33 to which a comb-84 is secured as'at 35. As bestshown in Fig. 5, the comb 34 is formed with a plurality of tinesor teeth 36 adapted to catch the blossoms and heads of thistles and the like and toeither out or break the blossoms and heads off or to pullthe same up out of the ground so that the thistles can not perpetuate themselves from their ripened seeds, j

The shaft'80 and withit the reel heads and combs, is adapted to be rotated from one of the wheels 10, and one end of the shaft 30 has splined thereto a gear pinion. 37 adapted to be meshed with a main drive gear 38 freely journaled on the adjacent spindle 11 and rigid with the adjacent wheel 10 (not shown). \Vith the lever 26 in the position depicted in Figs. 1 and el, the gears 37 and 38 will be in mesh and when the wheellO carrying the gear 38 isrotated the combs will be rotated in the direction of the arrow in Fig 1 and when the lever 26 is engaged the other notch 28 the gears will be out of mesh and the revolution of the and adapted to engage the inside of each comb as'best shown in Figs. 1, 2' and 5. The bar 39 has its ends secured to the outerends ofjthelong armsAO of l. shaped levers 4.1 each pivoted as at 42. to the arms '32 of the reel heads and having a friction roller l3 "cam 46 of each cam block forces the friction roller 43 away fromthe shaft 30"when the same reaches a POSltlOIl approximately that shown inFig. 2, when the outer end of the long arm 40, and with 1t the cleaner bar 39, Wlll be moved to a position ad acent the outer ends of the comb teeth removing there-- from all foreign matter. When the roller passes beyond the cam lOthe same will be moved toward the shaft 30 by meansof the outer flanged? ofthe cam to force the outer end of. the-arm 4:0 intoward the of the combteeth and thesame is thus inoperative until the rollerel3 again engages the cam ac.

. As willbeunderstood a comb cleaning bar is arranged adjacent each comb as best shown-in Fig. 2. Thecombs are adapted to be adjusted vertically to arrange them at various heights with respect to the ground and this is accjomplishedby means of journaled shaft .48 disposed above the axle l2 and having rearwardly extending crank arms 19 connected to each side arm 17 by means of link members5'0. The shaft d8 1s adapted to be rotated by means of a hand crank 51 operatinga worm gear 52 in mesh with a segmental gear .53 fixed to the shaft 418. As Wlll be obvious whenthe outer ends of the cranks 49 are raised the distance between the combs 34 and the ground will be increased and when they are lowered the distance will be decreased.

7 What I claim as myinvention is:

' 1. J1 device ofthe class described comprising a frame, a revolubly mounted comb carrying head supported by the frame, a comb carried by said head, a lever including a long and a short arm arranged at an an gle, means pivotally securing said lever to the comb carrying head at the apex of the angle formedby thelong and'shortiarmaa cleaning bar for said comb andarranged to sweep the same, means connecting the outer end of one of the arms of said lever with the cleaning bar, a cam track-way, means on the outer end of theother arm ofsaid lever for tra king in said cam-way, and means for revolving. said comb carrying head, saidicam track-way being" so, shaped and positioned thatthe outer end vof the arm ofcsaid lever connectedwith the cle'aningbar will be moved to a position adjacent the outer end ofzthe comb once every revolution thereof;

2; .A' thistle eradicator comprising a frame, a revolubly mounted comb carried thereby, a substantially-L shaped'lever pivotedat its-apexand havinga long and a short arm the outer end of the long arm of the L being positioned adjacent the inner volving said comb. said track-Way being so :tace of the comb, a comb cleaning bar arshaped and positioned that the outer end of 10 ranged to move along the inner face of the the long arm of said L shaped lever Will be comb and secured to the outer end of said moved to a position adiacent the outer end long arm of the L shaped lever, a cam trackof the comb once every revolution thereof.

Way, roller means journaled in the outer end In testimony whereof, I affix my signaof the short arm of said L shaped lever and ture.

tracking in said cam-Way, and means for re- LOUIS MAYER. 

